Lawn-mower.



' UNTTED sTATEs PATENT OEEIOE. j

. GUY H. BRYAN.; OE PLANKINTON, SOUTH DAKOTA.

' LllwN-Mowlsu.

No. eaaeee.

vinton, in the county of Aurora and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-Mowers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying'drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in lawn-mowers of that type in which the revolving knife-carrying reel is mounted in advance of the supporting and driving wheels.

The ob'ect of the invention isy to improve of machines ofi this character, and thereby render the same more efficient and durable' in use and less expensive to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the structural features by means of which they are attained, will be made clear by an examination of the following specification, ltaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which `the same reference characters denote corresponding plrts throughoutthe several views, "and in W `ch-- f Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved lawn-mower. Flg. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is `a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the lane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 1; and igs. 4 and 5 are detail vertical transverse sectional views taken, respectively, on the planes indicated bythe lines44and5 5inF1g. 1.

The frame of my improved lawn-mower comprises a substantially X-shaped brace or casting 1, two of the arms 2 of which extend rearwardly to receive a transverse `'stationary shaft 3. -The other two arms 4 of the brace 1 pro'ect forwardly and outwardly and are secure to ribs 'upon the inner faces of two cast side plates 5, which serve as uards for the drive-gear' presently exp ained. The side lor guard p ates 5 have formed on their tapered lrear ends collars 6, adapted to fit upon the ends of the. shaft and to be retained thereon by set-screws. Loosely mounted. upon the shaft 3 wit the side plates are two supporting and driving wheels.

7, upon the outer faces of which are secured sprocketears 8. of the sha t 3 and the frame or brace 1 is provided a yoke 9, to which is connected the usual handle .1 0,

specification of Letten Patent. Appunti@ ma April 1e, isoaf anni No. 311.977.

pon the central portion Patented oct. as, 190e.

The revolving cutter,11 of the machine is preferabl in-the form of a heavy knife-carrying ree and comprises a plurality of curved or twisted knives 12, secured upon the arms of spiders or heads 13, which are in turn fixed to a transverse shaft 14, mounted to rotate in bearings 15, provided lon brackets 16, l whichfare secured upon the inner faces of the side plates 5 ,adjacent to their tapered forward ends. The ends ofthe blades or knives 12 (project almost to the ends of the shaft 14, an

the bearing brackets or arms vlproject inwardly from the side plates 5 in order that sprocket-pinons 17 may be. mounted upon and simp ify the construction and operation t e ends of said shaft, as shown. This en'- ables sprocket-chains-18, which connect the. pinions 17 and the gears 8, to travel close tothe ends of the knives; and it permits the cutter to make a swath almost. as wide as-l the machine.' This construction also enables the machine to be run very close 'to sidewalks, fences, trees, plants, Aand the like.; The sprocketinions 17 have a clutch-con-1 nection 19 wit the cutter or reel shaft M ,so that theV 'latter will-beLpermitted to rotate faster than'them at' times, butwill be caused to rotate lwith them in a forwardl .direction when theyare turned by the chains` The knives or blades 12 of the reel coact:

with a transverse stationary knife 20, which is mounted, as shown at 21, in a strengthening-strip 22, secured upon brackets 23, which are in turn secured upon the innerfaces of the forward ends of the side plates 5.- In the 'lower ends of the brackets 23 are formed bearings for the shaft or journals of a transv,erse roller 24, which su ports the front portion of the machine an prevents the cutter or reel from coming in contact with the ground, f

In order to permit the machine-to be'ru'n close kto the edges of sidewalks and the like,fI

provide adjacent to the lower or bottom edges ofthe side or guard plates 5I two or more vertically or perpendicularly disposed rollers 25, which engage .the edge of a side- IOO Walk, the side of a fence, or the llke and permit thev machine to readily run along the same. These rollers are suitably journaled ino enings or recesses formed in 'said plates, as s own.

The construction, operation, and advantages of the invention will be readily understood from the fore oing description, taken in connection with t e accompanying draw- IIO - trampled 'down "and the machine wi Inaiy 'be made Without departing Frein the in s and the fdllovng brief statement. en the machine is pushed forwardly, the

motion of the Wheels 7 Will be imparted.

IWeight of the cutter or reel will give it co'nsitlv erable momentum, and the clutchconnection between fits shaft andthe driving sprocket inions will permit it to rotate at times -aster vthan them. Theipro'visionofthe 'reel ait 'the fronto the madhine permits the suppotin' zand driving Wheels to ftravelover "t 'e mowe `or "out grass 'Hence 'no "a'ss is Gift fa clean swath. The construdtidn of the '-rel and the x'ilar'ne pei'mits 'the 'machine to be close to sidewalks, trees, and the 4|like, Vas previously ve i laine'd. By tilting the Ilinachine so that yits frontend and cutter are 'elefated very-'tail grass ma 'be ieetivelyfcat by 'moving 'the machine ack and ffo'ith me oi' three timesat different elevations `Whie I have shown and 'described fthe preferred ie'mbod-inrlent of `n'y inventin, lFit Will be 'understood that I zdo not Wish `to be limited y'to the precise showing 'herein l'se't forthfsince'variushanges inthe ferm, pro'- portion,'a'nd minor idetails of cdnst'ruetio'n Having tri-us desenbed :my said invention,

dfsearwsrcily'asd forwardly extenmgarms,

'drivin rota-ry shaft,

a fs a'ft .Journale a stationary shaft in said rearwardly-extending arms, side or guard plates secured upon said forwardly-extending arms and upon the ends of said shaft, supporting and wheels loosely mounte upon -said shaft etween said sidel plates, s rocket- ;gears upon said Wheels, depending rackets upon the front ends of said side plates, a Toller journaled in said brackets, a stationary knife between said brackets, inwardly-projectingbrackets 'upon the front ends 'of said side p ates, said inwardly-extending brackets having bearings yat theirinnerends, a roany shaft 410am-tial in said 'bearings a vrec-1 or cutter I`secured upon said rotary shaft-and havfi'l'igcurved Ior spiral knives, sprocket-pinions having -a dlutch connection With'said procke't-chains connecting said pinions an said gears, and la handle 'upon 'said 'iia'1'1'1e, substantially as shown and described.

y2. Inala-wniniowenfarwme'havingfparallel,- vertical side o1' Ygua'if'l lplates, linwardly- .pro'ecting bearin -bfiaekets upon said rplates, 'in 'the 'bearin' on said brackets,a *reelor cutter upon sai -sha'lt and comprising :curved 'o'r spiral knives, rotary driving elements u'po`n -t'he endsol said 'shaft anlclo'se to 'the inner :faces 'of said plates and the :outer ndso'fsaid knives, Ja'nd Ia stationary knife -fsuppdrted jf-ren'i said plates, substantialiyasdeseri-bed.

In testmdny'wherecf iI'he'reufnto fax my signature@ @itesenceetwo witnesses.

v GUY H. 'BRYAN Witnesses:

- SF. fLI "Stima, iNPLAnnn 

